Context

My role

We focused on evaluating core user journeys (CUJs) across the Google Ads organization. I received training in various research methods, equipping me with versatile skills to conduct effective studies. The goal of this initiative was to surface product issues that may be preventing users from achieving their goals. We partnered with teams to conduct qualitative CUJ evaluations leveraging a variety of research methods and frameworks of evaluation.

Methodologies Employed

I specialized in conducting comprehensive Root Cause Inspections and also worked on a 30+ Baseline Inspection. My primary responsibility was to collect, analyze and deliver detailed research reports that guided strategic decision-making across various departments.

Research Process

Below is an outline of my end to end process.

By adhering to a strict timeline and effectively communicating with stakeholders, we established a foundation for seamless collaboration. This enabled me to present user research findings to a diverse audience, including UX designers, engineers, product managers, and VPs. Through facilitating cross-functional collaboration, I ensured that user insights informed decision-making at every stage. Additionally, identifying gaps in team onboarding materials, process documentation, and research deliverables allowed me to spearhead process improvements. This proactive approach led to the implementation of streamlined processes, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness across teams.

Reports and Analysis

Analysis Framework

The team used a systemic analysis framework adapted from methods internal to Google combining structured interviews, heuristic evaluations and the system usability scoring method (SUS) frameworks. This allowed us to systematically analyze the material we were testing, assign severity levels to each issue we discovered and provide an overall "Health" score for the CUJ in question.

Each issue was given a ranking and assigned a category in our list of heuristics.

Each issue was explained in more detail on an individual slide.

Results

Making an Impact through Insight and Innovation

• Completing 36 baseline usability sessions, I supported initiatives aimed at improving user experience for Ads products, benefiting millions of users. Recognition from the UX Director underscored the significance of insights gained from these sessions, validating our efforts.
• Aiding in the analysis of over 800 research findings, I produced cross-product insights and themes, informing strategic decisions across the organization. Additionally, streamlining reporting processes by developing a new report deck template reduced reporting time by 30%, further enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Reflection

• This experience provided a solid foundation in conducting user research both rapidly and effectively, yielding substantial insights and benefits.
• I had the opportunity to lead a cross-product synthesis, collaboratively organizing a vast archive of research findings to achieve large-scale integration and insights.